“Ultimately, I think, the key here is to address their statelessness,” she told UNB in an interview mentioning that much more needs to be done to make sure there are decent conditions for the refugees to return safely when they want to.

The UNHCR envoy, who was named a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador in May 2016, said the conditions right now in Rakhine state are clearly not conducive to the safe and voluntary return, or the dignified return of the refugees who have fled to Bangladesh.

She said there are unending reports of violence and intimidation against the Rohingya communities. “I heard some of those stories myself whilst I was in Bangladesh.”

Cate, who has recently travelled to Bangladesh with UNHCR to draw attention to the situation of the Rohingyas, said UNHCR and its partners are calling for unrestricted access to Rakhine state so they can assess conditions and the long-term possibility of any returns.

Responding to a question, she said the international community, private sector, the public, all of them must continue to support Bangladesh in caring for these refugees — over half of whom children.